According to the UNWTO, Russia has the 9th largest outbound tourism market in terms of expenditure and it is increasing by 14% p.a. It also has the fastest growing internet population in Europe leading to an increase in direct reservations.

MITT, the 18th Moscow International Travel & Tourism exhibition, is Russia’s number one exhibition for the travel industry and one of the top five travel exhibitions in the world. MITT takes place every year in March immediately after ITB, and many find that extending their trip to incorporate MITT makes for a very productive trip. This year, the first day of the show will be dedicated to VIP guests only – those invited by the exhibitors themselves. This will make exhibitors’ time at the exhibition more effective.

Over the last 18 years, MITT has proved an effective and efficient way to build awareness amongst the local tourism trade and consumers. The event covers eight pavilions in Moscow’s most central exhibition centre, Expocentre.

With nearly 80,000 visitors, MITT is always a very busy event and, in order to help exhibitors organise their time at the event more efficiently, the first day of the show will be dedicated to VIPs, with the next two days open to business professionals and the final day open to the public.

MITT will feature a number of new destinations this year, including Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Botswana, El Salvador, Iraq, Korea, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, Venezuela and USA. Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Taiwan and Singapore will also be returning to the show after a year’s absence. This year, Israel moves to Pavilion 2 Hall 1, to join the Mediterranean destinations, whilst Malta moves to Pavilion 2 Hall 3. The Turkish Ministry of Tourism will occupy a whole pavilion (Hall 1, Pavilion 8), with the Turkish tour operators next door in hall 2. As ever, there will be a large number of Italian companies presented on a stand of 1000 m², organised by ENIT. The Greek Tourism Board continues to have a massive presence in Hall 1, Pavilion 2, with two stands of over 1,000 m².

Last year, the medical tourism sector proved a popular attraction for visitors and it will return to Pav 2, Hall 3 this year. A medical Congress, MHTC, will complement the exhibition and feature presentations by key representatives of the sector.

Medical tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Russian travel industry, as the ever more health-conscious population seeks more advanced technology, better healthcare or faster medical services abroad. The preferred destinations for medical tourists are the Middle East (with 58% of the market) and Europe (with 37% of the market).

Quote from the Head of Sales for ITE Travel Exhibitions, Maria Badakh, “As Russia’s largest travel fair, MITT has become a traditional meeting place for the whole travel industry and a showcase for the world! We are pleased to welcome the new destinations of Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Botswana, El Salvador, Iraq, Korea, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, Venezuela and USA. I’m sure they will prove very popular with our visitors. For the first time, we will be concentrating fully on business for the first three days of the exhibition, whilst the fourth day will be open to the public. This will help our exhibitors to gain more out of their participation and we look forward to receiving their feedback after the event. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you in Moscow to kick off the Spring season at MITT!”

MITT’s official partners are: The Government of Moscow, Ministry of Sports, Tourism & Youth, The Federal Assembly of Russia, ITTFA, CECTA, UNWTO and PATA.